Mass Effect: Iridescent
by Terminal lance
Summary: Mass Effect ended horriably so I have jumped on the bandwagon and written my own ending. This is about my male shep/solider named Jack. Romance with Liara. So without further ado, my own ending to mass effect. Will continue if I get asked to.
1. Chapter 1

This is my own ending to mass effect franchise since bioware decided to not only drop the ball but miss the game winning free throw. Seriously the endings sucked so bad and not because they where bittersweet, I expected bittersweet not just plan bitter pilled on shit. I think that the game could end happily with a bit of hope to it since the fact that **TRILLONS **of people are dead, many planets are completely devastated and the galaxy will take an asari's lifetime to recover. The games were not even set up to end like that, it came from complete left field as a dues ex machina copout, don't copy another games endings because just cause it worked in human revolution does not mean it would work in Mass Effect (because it doesn't). There still could be choice, example instead TIM tells shepherd that he/she could upload a control virus to the reapers or use it to still destroy them. No annoying god-child, who is a fucking idiot by the way, required. They could have done an ending set like dragon age origins where you see how the choices you made effected the world after the final battle, wither you survived or not. The whole thing with the Normandy makes about as much sense as 2+2=40, all im saying because we are all thinking it. So now I have two write my own ending to an otherwise fantastic game, something I should not have to do fuck-you very much EA, the cancer on the gaming industry that it is, so end of rant time give myself the ending the Jack Shepherd deserves to have after saving everyone ass for the third time.

Jack Shepherd jogged along the path towards the beam of light that would transport them to the citadel and the salvation of all organic life. His feet pounded on the ground as he ran with his stead fast friend Garrus and his brother in arms James towards their final goal. The group came to an edge of rubble and stopped as the sight, a clean stretch of three hundred or so yards of open ground between them, James stopped next to the commander as they gazed at the sight.

"Right behind you shepherd" Garrus said but before the group of soldiers could start the final sprint a massive reaper landed on the other side of the beam.

"Move!" Shepherd screamed as he tore off for the beam at the other side of the open ground. The group of men and women sprinted for the beam of light as more of the massive self aware ships began to slam to the ground, their massive red beams that served as the reapers weapons began to cris-cross the ground. Shepherd stumbled as a Mako tank to his right exploded, he could hear the screams of people as the shrapnel from the explosion tore them apart. Shepherd kept his feet pounding, Garrus ran next to him as the world exploded around them. Shepherd looked up at one of the reapers; the massive beam of red light was head straight for them.

"Oh fuck!" James yelled out as the beam hit the ground. Shepherd dove foreword as the beam past behind him. He did have time to consider what caused the explosion but suddenly he went soaring through the air before landing hard on the ground. His vision went black as he felt his head bounce on the ground. His vision returned to him a few seconds later, he looked around the field. Bodies of dead soldiers lay around him; he could feel the ground behind his hair, soaked wet from blood. _Wait my hair, what happened to my helmet _Jack thought to himself as he slowly got up and looked around, his ears where ringing as he stood up. He felt a twang of pain in his gut; he looked down and saw a rebar from the support frame of the make that had been destroyed. Shepherd grabbed the bar and grunted as he pulled it out from his stomach. He puked up a bit of blood; he looked over at Garrus who was busy using his sniper rifle to push himself up off the ground. James was leaned up against a pile of rubble, is foot bent at a very odd angle. Shepherd looked back at Garrus as the Turian turned and fired his viper rifle at a group of advancing enemies that shepherd could not see. As Garrus fired Jack's shell shock wore off and he could hear the sound of the advancing reaper troops, Garrus's rifle cracking and sound of James yelling at him.

"Loco, get to the beam!" James yelled as he grabbed his revenant machine gun, shouldered it and began to fire. Shepherd grabbed his helmet and pulled it on his head, the visor was cracked, the HUD was flashing but he could hear the sound of Garrus's voice in his ear piece clearly.

"We have you covered Commander, now finish the fight"

Shepherd blocked the pain from his wounds and exploded from his crouching stance. He felt his feet pound into the ground, the world rushed past him as he ran for the beam, ran for the light that represented more than just a way to the citadel, it represented hope, salvation, life, and a chance that he could have a future with Liara. Shepherd saw a cannibal move from behind one of the pillars and aim at him. He didn't bother raising his rifle and ran trough the hulking abomination of machine, and twisted corpses of batarian and human. He hit the thing like a running back going for the winning touchdown; he yelled as he did and leapt into the beam of light.

Shepherd landed hard on the ground in the citadel, in a pile of bloody, messy bodies. He put his hand on his stomach feeling the wound from the rebar; luckily his suit was still functioning and had begun to seal the wound preventing serious blood loss. He still felt light headed, he could feel pain in his limbs as pieces from the bits of shrapnel that where logged in to them. He looked around the room, it was dark, but eh could make out the piles of bodies and the blood slicked floor. A keeper looked at him but passed him off and went back to what it was doing.

"Anderson, you up here to" Shepherd said over the commline as he stood up moaning a bit as he did.

"Followed you up, but we didn't come out in the same place" Anderson said groaning as he did "at least I don't think we did, what's your surroundings like?"

Shepherd grabbed his rifle and looked around the room, his vision has being confused by the flickering HUD in his busted up helmet. He slapped the side of it and looked around as the HUD stabilized. He groaned a bit as he took a step foreword and felt his ankle nearly give out.

"You okay?" Anderson asked in worried tone.

"I feel like death" Shepherd groaned out "but I am moving"

"Its dark, there is human remains scattered" Shepherd said as he moved along limping.

"Sounds similar, im in a dark hallway" Anderson said "reminds me of your description of the collector base"

"Makes sense"

"You think they are making a reaper in here?"

"Sure, they round the people up on earth. Then send them up here to be processed" Shepherd said as he placed his left hand on his rifles fore grip.

"God damn abominations" Anderson groaned "im going to keep moving, the sooner we blow these abominations back to hell, the better"

Shepherd shambled foreword along the dark hallway, the smell of death and decay filled his helmet.

"The tubes don't go one forever, but where the hell are we?" Anderson asked over the comms.

"Yeah, doesn't look like any part of the citadel I've been to" Shepherd said responded. He shambled past the end of the piles of the dead, his grip on his rifle tightened.

"Whoa"

"Anderson?"

"One of the walls here just realigned itself" Anderson said bewildered "the place is shifting. Changing"

Shepherd approached a door but couldn't see a way to open it; a keeper glanced at him before going back to what it was doing.

"There is a chasm here, and more hallways like the one I was in" Anderson said. The door opened up automatically and shepherd stumbled through it to see a large open area and machinery in the middle of the vast space.

"I think I am near and exit" Shepherd responded, pain in his voice. The weary solider stepped down the ramp that lead to a bridge to a large pillar in the middle of the space.

"I see something up ahead, might be away to crossover" the admiral said.

"Don't get too far ahead of me" Shepherd said as panels on the side of the bridge began to shift.

"Where you think you are at?" Anderson asked.

"Just found that Chasm you were talking about" Shepherd said as he shambled along the bridge toward a ramp the lead up into the pillar.

"Hold on" Anderson said "I see something, a control panel maybe, im just going go on ahead to check"

Shepherd's ear parched up as the comm. line went static.

"Anderson?" Shepherd inquired worryingly, he did not hear a response "damn it!"

Shepherd reached to top of the ramp and could see into the space of that filled the closed arms of the citadel. The sound of energy jumping echoed and he could see a dark figure at a terminal at the edge of a platform. He shambled foreword to see that it was Anderson he stopped a few paces behind him, his legs crying out in thanks and he had to try his best to not fall down.

"Anderson"

Suddenly voices started to fill his head and Anderson turned to face him. Something seemed off about the way he moved.

"Shepherd" Anderson groaned "I can't"

Jack felt his muscles look up, he couldn't move and the sound of a cool voice form behind him made him growl in anger.

"Shepherd, I underestimated you" The Illusive man said as he walked up calmly from behind him. Shepherd looked at him, skin had been ripped off his face tor rival the robotic parts beneath.

"I warned you. Control is the means to survival" He said coolly "control of the reapers… and of you if necessary"

Anderson groaned before mustering enough strength to look at the Cerberus leader.

"They are controlling you!" Anderson grunted.

"I don't think so, admiral" the illusive man said.

"Controlling us is a lot different than controlling a reaper" Shepherd said glaring at him from under his helmet. The illusive man looked at shepherd before placing his arm across his chest and resting his chin in his hand.

"Have a little faith" He said before walking over to Anderson's right side "When humanity discovered the mass relays, when we learned there was more to the galaxy then we imagined. There was some who thought the relays should be destroyed. They were scared of what we might find. What we might let in but look at what humanity has achieved. Since that discovery, we have advanced more than the past 10,000 years combined. And the reapers will do the same for us again. A thousand fold. But"

A reaper signal filled shepherds head and he looked away groaning as the signal made his head scream in pain. He felt his arms rise against his will and level his rifle at Anderson.

"But only if we can harness their ability to control" the illusive man said.

"Bullshit, we destroy them or they destroy us" Anderson said as he gasped from pain.

"And waste this opportunity? Never" the illusive man said as he walked around Shepherd "Look at what we could do with them, the commander is an example. His implant are based on reaper tech. W not only brought him back from the dead but we have given him a lifespan of a thousand years, just imagine what we could do, what we could become if we control them" The illusive man said. Shepherd had never realized this, that he what had brought him back had given him more than just a second chance but many, many more years _provide I survive this_ he thought. "I used them on myself; I am proof of what we can become"

"You are playing with things you don't understand, with power you shouldn't be able to use" shepherd said.

"I don't believe that. If we can control it why shouldn't it be ours? If we control them, you get to live out your days with Liara, and not for your life span but for hers. All of humanity could have that, look at what I gave you from the small control I had at the time. Your ungratefulness offends me Shepherd"

"We are not ready for it" Shepherd said glaring at the illusive man.  
>"No, this is the way humanity must evolve" the illusive man said.<p>

"There is always another way" Anderson said.

"I have dedicated my life to understanding the reapers and I know with certainty the Crucible will allow me to control them" The illusive man said.

"And then what?" Shepherd asked.

"Look at the power they wield, look at what they can do" the Illusive man began "me and you shepherd are proof of what we can become. Proof of future far brighter than anything you can imagine where humans are no longer crushed under foot, we no longer live overly shore meaningless lives, where we can clam our rightful place on the top of galactic society. Look at we can do!"

Shepherd felt his finger squeeze and a round from his rifle fired straight through Anderson's chest. The admiral snapped back, his face contorted in pain as he hunched over. Shepherd shook his head; _I never wanted this_ he thought.

"I see what they did to you, you went too far" Shepherd said.

"I took what I wanted from them! Made it my own! Hell I even had the decency to share with you shepherd" The Illusive man said as he glared at shepherd "you were the first experiment, Kia long was the second I now know what we can achieve but this is not about me or you. It's about things so much bigger than all of us" He said as he held his arms out.

"He's wrong. Don't listen to him" Anderson said. The illusive man stood behind him looking at shepherd.

"And who will you listen to shepherd. An old solider stuck in his ways, only able to see down the barrel of a gun? And what if he is wrong? What if controlling the reapers is the answer?" the illusive man said returning his gaze to Shepherd "or will you listen to me, the man who gave you life, the man who has given you a thousand years to be with your beloved asari? The man who can create a future those fifty years ago we could not even comprehend?"

"If we destroy the reapers, this ends today but if you cant control them" Shepherd said "then that future won't matter!"

"But I can!" the Illusive man yelled angrily.

"Are you willing to stake humanities existence on it?" Shepherd shouted back.

"I know it will work" the illusive man said forcefully.

"You can't can you, they won't let you" Shepherd said.

"No! I am in control! No one is telling me what to do!" The Illusive man said pointing at Jack.

"Listen to yourself" Anderson groaned "you are indoctrinated"

"No! No the two of you, so self righteous and ungrateful. Do you think power like this comes easy? There are scarifies"

"You have sacrificed the very thing that makes you human" Shepherd said.

"Shepherd I, I only wants to protect humanity. The crucible can control them. I know it can. I just"

"Its not to late to let us go, we will do the rest" shepherd said.

"I, I can't do that commander" the Illusive man said putting his head in his hands.

"Of course you can't, they own you now" Anderson said. The illusive man walked over and pulled out Anderson's pistol.

"You…you will undo everything I've accomplished. I won't let that happen"

"You have become nothing more than the reapers plaything, their agent to divide us" Shepherd said. The Illusive man forced Anderson to his knees and points the pistol at the back of his head.

"No you are the one who failed" The illusive man said. Shepherd grunted, he poured all his willpower into his arms and fired his rifle. The round caught the illusive man square in the chest, toppling him backwards. Shepherd felt the lock on his body leave and fired the more rounds into the illusive man. Anderson fell over as Shepherd dropped his rifle to the ground, it echoed with a clang as it hit the steel floor. Jack walked over to the terminal and hit the button to open the arms. He rested his hands on the panel as the arms opened to revile the battle that was raging on the other side of the glass. He stood there watching the battle; he could here admiral Hackett ordering the crucible into place.

"There…earth" the illusive man groaned "I wish you could see it like I do Jack, it's so perfect" with that he finally rested his head on the ground. Shepherd looked back at earth as he felt a jolt that made him stumble despite his grip on the panel. He looked up as the arms fully extended. He could see all of earth stretched out before him, the battle raged and then suddenly a bright blue beam of light shoot up to the top of the tower. Light extended from the five arms tips and meet the top of the tower. As it did a massive pulse of rocketed from the citadel, Jack stood up as it did the bright light blinded him as he looked away. The pillars of light dissipated, Jack opened his eyes and saw the reapers were just floating lazily, he could here Hackett.

"The pulse just knocked out their power; everyone hit them with everything you got!" Hackett yelled. Jack smiled as he watched reapers after reaper become engulfed in flames as the fleets began to destroy the massive, robotic, horrors. Anderson groaned from behind Shepherd as he sat against a slightly raised part of the floor. Jack limbed over and sat down next to him. He popped his helmet off, and ran his hand through his dark brown hair. His bright blue eyes gazed out at his home world, the stubble that graced his face was married with blood and some of it was burnt, a black bruise was forming under his right eye.

"Commander" Anderson said glancing at him.

"We did it" Shepherd said looking at the admiral.

"Yes we did" Anderson said chuckling a bit "and all we had to do was hit an off switch, that's quite a view"

"Best seats in the house" Shepherd said with a slight chuckle.

"God feels like years since I just sat down" Anderson said.

"I think you earned a rest" Shepherd said looking at his mentor "Anderson?"

"Hmm?"

"Stay with me, we are almost through this" Shepherd said.

"You did good son. You did good. I'm proud of you"

"Thank you sir" Shepherd said moving his head to look at the tired old solider "Anderson?" He got no response; shepherd sighed and looked out at earth again. He looked at his blood covered hands before placing them against his wound.

"Shepherd? Commander? You still kicking?" Hackett asked over the comm. line.

"Yeah, I'm here sir" Shepherd said "I am in the citadels tower, at the base. Anderson's gone"

"Ok, hold in there Jack, your ship is on the way" Hackett said.

"Roger that sir" Shepherd said tiredly. He sighed as he gazed at earth, it seemed like an eternity but eventually he heard the sound of running footsteps. He looked back to see a group of soldiers running up to him, along with all but Garrus and James. Liara was the first one to him.

"Shepherd!" She yelled as she ran to him "oh goddess"

She quickly applied medic-gel to his wounds; he sighed as a feeling of relief washed over him as the medical miracle began its work. Liara hugged him tightly and Shepherd put one arm around her.

"I thought I had lost you Jack" She whispered.

"I made you a promise my angel" Jack looking into the bright blue eyes of his lover as a tear ran down her cheek.

"Yes you did, goddess I love you" Liara said.

"I love you to Liara" Jack said as his crew put a stretcher down next to him. Liara realized him so he could be loaded on to the stretcher. Before his crew lifted him up he reached over to Anderson and pulled his tags off and clasped them in his hand. Tali, Javak, Ashley, and EDI grabbed a handle of the stretcher and picked it up. Liara found Jack's hand; he smiled up at her as they began to move back to the Normandy. As they walked Jack kept a firm grip on Liara's hand as they moved through the citadel, the death and destruction around them.

"Shepherd, you need to back off the burgers" Tali grunted. The group laughed a bit.

Shepherd grunted "Oh, don't make me laugh"

They reached where the shuttle had found a place to land, the hatch opened up and the group walked in. Shepherd was set down on the floor, Liara set down next to him with his hand in hers. The shuttle took off and headed for the frigate that was holding position near admiral Hackett's flagship.

"It's a shame about Anderson" Ashley said "he was a good man"

"Commander, you have achieved my goal" Javak said "The reapers lay dead; their blood has been spilt for my people. For that I thank you commander"

"Thanks Javak" Shepherd said grunting as he tried to sit up a bit on his stretcher "couldn't have done it with out you" Shepherd looked at EDI "Do you know if Garrus and James are ok?"

"Garrus is in the same shape you are and James has a broken ankle along with a few gunshot wounds. The alliance medics on the ground are doing the best they can right now"

"He is tough, he will pull through shepherd" Liara said reassuringly.

"James is a Krogan just born human" Jack said "What about Cortez"

"He didn't make it Shepherd" Ashley said shaking her head. Jack lay back down on the stretcher sighing.

"Another man lost" Shepherd said sadly "He was a good pilot"

"That he was my he find peace" Javak said solemnly as the shuttle sat down.

Shepherd was transported to the medical bay quickly, Liara stayed by his side the whole time. Shepherd with Liara's help pulled his armor off and on to the medical table, Liara sighed as she examined his injuries. Doctor Chakwas walked over shaking her head as she looked at the commander as he lay on the table, bloody, broken, and bruised.

"My god Jack, every time you leave this ship it seems I have to fix you up" Chakwas said chuckling slightly.

"Don't worry doc, this is the last time" Jack said smiling a bit.

"Well I centrally hope so" Liara said smiling. Chakwas nodded as she activated the medical scanner. Shepherd lay back as the scanner started to work; Liara watched the screen shaking her head as she did.

"Well, lets see besides the minor cuts a bruises you have a few broken ribs, your right shoulder has been separated, you have three fractures in your left arm and a nice hole in your side"

"I hadn't notice!" Shepherd said grunting a bit. Liara shook her head, _he lays here broken and bloody and he still finds away to be sarcastic_ she thought.

"Your luck commander, what ever skewered you missed your kidney by a fraction of an inch and missed other vital organs" Chakwas said "Now, Liara if you could step outside for a bit so I can fix your boyfriend"

"Of course doctor" Liara said and stepped outside of the medical bay. She sat down at the table in the crew deck and waited for the doctor to finish her job. After a few minutes other members from the crew sat down with her, including Ashley.

"T'Soni"

"Ashley" Liara said. The two had never been friendly with each other, and the fact that Liara and the commander where together had only driven the wedge between them farther. Tali sat down as well looking between the two; she looked back and forth between the two who where busy looking anywhere but at each other.

"So, Tali" Ashley said looking at the quarian "You and Garrus huh?"

"What, oh yeah um yeah" Tali said. Liara would have guessed that hinder her face mask the quarian was blushing. The three sat in silence waiting for Chakwas to come out and tell them that Shepherd was fine. A half an hour later doctor Chakwas walked out followed by a bandaged, limping Shepherd.

"Well, we got him patched up" Chakwas said as she stopped at the table. Shepherd's arm was in a sling, his chest was wrapped in bandages but he was smiling a bit.

"Have we heard anything about James or Garrus?" Shepherd ask the group before they could answer EDI came over the speaker.

"Garrus is alive commander and James is currently in surgery to fix his wounds, the medics report that he will make a full recovery" EDI said.

"That's twice now" Tali said "and that bosh'tet Garrus better get up here"

"Well, he said he is buying when we get to the nearest bar" Shepherd said "and I aim to hold him to that. Now if you excuse me I am tired and want to sleep"

The weary soldier began to walk over towards the elevator; Liara was quickly at his side helping him to the elevator. She his the button and the doors opened, the two hobbled in. Liara wrapped her arms around him; a few tears ran down her face soaking Jacks chest. He wrapped his good arm the asari as she cried into his chest.

"I thought you were dead Shepherd" Liara I said "I can't go through that twice"

"Its ok, im here Liara" Jack said patting her back "I'm not going anywhere"

Liara looked up at him and Jack planted a kiss on her lips, the two stayed like that as the elevator made its way to the captain's quarters. The door opened and the two broke apart. Shepherd with Liara helping him limped over to his bed; he sat down on the edge of the bed. Liara popped her armor off; she stood in front of Shepherd in her bra underwear. Shepherd swung his legs on to the bed and scooted over and Liara lay down next to him she grabbed the covers and pulled the over the two. Shepherd pulled her into him and held her with his good arm close, she sighed as she smiled happily as she felt the warmth of Shepherds body made her warm and she smiled.

"I love you Jack Shepherd" Liara said smiling as she closed her eyes.

"I love you to Liara, my angel" Jack said as the two dozed off into a blissful sleep knowing that the future they had dreamed of only a few days ago.

There is my ending to the game, I plan to continue this if I get feed back. Is it a little weird that shepherds life gets extend from his implants sure but I don't care, my ending. Like I said I plan to continue it if it gets good feedback so yeah. Also there is a rumor going around the Bio-ware is actually listening to the fans and there is a alternative ending DLC coming out but like I said it's a rumor I heard from a friend and if I find the article he is talking about ill post a link in the next chapter two.


	2. Note to the readers

A note to the readers of ME: Iridescent, I am going to a due a novelization of ME3 with my own original ideas and plan to make the ending not the bullshit we got. I would greatly appreciate your feedback on it. I wanted to do the full story as I had come up with some of my own ideas for ME and wanted to implement them in a story. I also wanted a full story about my own shepherd such as him calling Liara angel is explained, etc along with my own ideas for shepherd.


End file.
